Range surface unit insulator



EST AVAILABLE COP Dec. 2, 1941. A. BARNST EINER 2,254,270

RANGE SURFACE UNIT INSULATOR Filed March 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

2 92 A [fans- Barnsteinezc BY BE-STAVAILABLE 00:

A. BARNSTEINER RANGE SURFACEUNIT INSULATOR Filed March 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

" Alfons Barnszeiner BEST AVAILABLE COP Deg. 2, 1941. A. BARNSTEINER RANGE SURFACEUNIT INSULATOR s Shets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28; 1939 INVENTOR WITNESSES: MM

A lfon s Barnsteiner ATrbRNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1941 I BEST AVAILABLE COP RAN GE SURFACE UNIT INSULATOR Alfons Barnsteiner, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Com pany, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 28, 1939, Serial No. 264,572 V 3 Claims.

My invention relates to ranges and the like, and more particularly to'a structure for heatinsulating surface units thereof from the top surface of a range and at the same time, mechanically protecting such surface. This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No.- 177,315, filed November .30, 1937, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric 8: Manufacturing Company.

With those ranges now known to the art having top surfaces which are enameled for protective and decorative purposes, and which have surface un'its located therein forv cooking purposes, the amount of heat developed by the surface units is necessarily'limited by the inherent characteristics of the decorative coating located upon the top surface of the range. In other words, in those ranges having the top surface enameled with a white coating, such coating will in time, if subjected to high temperatures, turn .gray or brown, resulting in the range having a dirty, unattractive appearance, while rapid cooling from an elevated temperature causes the enameled coating to check or crack.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention' to provide means whereby, the temperature of a range surface unit may be increased over that now knownto the art without causing injury to the enameled coating located on the range top surface.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the enameled decorative coating located upon the range top surface from being cracked or chipped about-the edge of the surface unit due to an operator carelessly placing cooking vessels thereon.

A further object of my invention is to provide a removable ring about the range surface unit which will restrict the horizontal or radial flow of heat energy from the surface unit.

A still further object of my invention is to pro- I vide an insulating ring about a range surface unit support pan which, while being rigidly attached to the pan, provides an air space therebetween for insulating the ring from such pan and from the enameled surface of the range platform.

Another object of my-invention is to provide means for supporting the range'surface unit by vention, or will be apparent from such description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a range embodying my invention; 4

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a range surfacewhich like reference characters indicate like parts in the several figures, I show a range In having a top surface I! with surface units I4 10- cated therein, and a protective ring..l6 being disposed about each of the surface units It and being attached to each surface unit supporting pan l8, as hereinafter described.

The range top surface or platform l2, which maybe formed in any desired manner, is preferably formed of a single sheet of metal 20 having a depressed ledge 2| adjacent the'surface unit receiving apertures 23, as shown in Figs.2 and 8. The top surface metal 20 has a decorative and protective coating 22 placed thereon, which usually is of a white color. The coating 22 is generally enamel and is usually baked or fired on the top surface metal plate 20, in accordance with a familiar practice. The top surface l2 thus is composed primarily of a metal sheet 20 with a.

a clear evenly colored decorative top. surface, the

esthetic effect of which would-be destroyed by any irregular change in color or with cracks or chips within the coating itself. However, a

'range embodying my invention wouldbe pro- .tected from being defaced in such a manner, as

hereinafter described.

lowing description of a device embodying my in- The surface unit It, which may b f any w n- -2 I I known type, is rigidly attached to and located black or the like.

within thedish-shaped supporting pan I8. The pan l8 may be enameled to protect it from oxidation and heat developed by the surface unit It. If the supporting pan l8 be enameled, it is preferred that it be colored adark color, such as The surface unit I4 is rigidly attached to the pan l8 by means of bolts I9 and may be connected to a supply circuit (not shown) by means of terminal straps 21. An insulating block 25 may be located within the pan l8 and may be positioned intermediate the surface unit l4 and the pan l8. This block 25 may be composed of a ceramic material, or of any other desired heat-insulating material- The pan I8 has an annular outwardly extending flange 26 located about the upper wall thereof 'upon which the protective ring I6 is placed (see Figs. 2, 3 and 8). It is preferred that the protective ring l6 be composed of a material having a lower heat conductivity than that of the surface unit H and of the supporting pan l8, such as chromium plated or polished stainless steel, or the like, so as to prohibit or restrict the horizontal or radial flow of heat from the surface unit M. The protective ring I6, which is preferably solid, is held in position upon the upper pe riphery or the annular flange 26 of the pan 18 by being crimped over against the pan l8 at a plurality of points, as shown at point 24 in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. In addition, the ends of the protective ring 16 may be crimped in against the pan l8 to lock su'ch ring in place upon the pan, see

' 2B in Figs. 3 and 4. With the ring l6 crimped against the pan l8 in such a manner, it is obvious that the ring I6 will be rigidly attached thereto and cannot be readilyjremoved from the pan l8..

If it be desired, .the material of the top surface of the ring l6 may be polished to a high luster toharmonize with the prevailing decorative features of the ranges now known to the art.

The protective ring I6 is formed and positioned upon the pan' l8 so that it contacts the annular flange 26 thereof at only three places; namely, the

"two peripheries 30 and 34 of ring I6, and an intermediate point 32, see Figs. 5, 6 and 8. Two airgaps 36 and 38 are thus formed between the ring l6 and flange 26 of pan l8, These stagnant airgaps 36 and 38 act asinsulators and prevent .the

flow of heat fromthe ring l6. and v: the pan l8. Accordingly, the passage of heat from the surface 2,264,270 BEST AVAILABLE cop ameled surface 22 of the platform 2 is greatly restricted.

The protective ring I6 is located slightly above the top surface l2 of the range l0 (see Figs. 2 and 8). The exact position thereof is determined by the depth of .the outer edge of flange 26 and lugs 40. By having the protective ring l6 located slightly above the top surface of the range It), it is apparent that as an operator positions a cooking vessel upon the surface unit, the protective ring l6 will prevent the corners or edge of the vessel from striking the edge of the top surface located substantially in juxtaposition with the pan l8, and will guarantee that the vessel will be elevated above the range top surface.

It is, therefore, apparent that due to the positioning of the ring l6 above the level of the top surface, such ring will protect and prevent the top surface from being chipped or cracked by the vessels being carelessly placed upon the surface unit.

It is well known that with white enamel which is generally used upon the .top surface of the ranges as now known to the art, such enamel is liable to turn gray or brown with continued use of the surface units at high temperatures. This factor, which is inherent in the decoration of the top surface, fixes the upper limits or usable temperatures of the surface units by preventing the surface units from being satisfactorily used above that temperature which would readily discolor unit, to the pan. 18 will be greatlyrestricted due to the presence of such ring l6.

In addition, it the 'ring u; be highly polished,

such polished surface willreflect a large portion of the heatdirected towards the flange 26 of pan r a vessel placed and heater l4 upon the depressed ledges 2| of range platform l2 within the apertures 23,-and to restrict the conductivity of heat from the pan I I8 to such platform l2. These lugs are comparaacross the protective ring l6 the decorative coatingplaced upon the range top surface.

The air-gaps 36 and 38 between the ring l6 and the pan l8 insulate such ring from the pan and limit the flow of heat from such ring to the pan.

- Further, the lugs 40, in effect, raise the pan l8 upfrom the enameled surface 22 of the platform l2 and prevent the conduction of heat thereto. The ring l6 and lugs, therefore, permit the temperature of the surface unit M to be increased to its limit of capacity while not exceeding a safe temperature'rise at the edge of the top surface l2, by reasonof the temperature differential pan l8 and platform l2.

It is, therefore, apparent that the protective venting the enameled top surface of the rangefrom being cracked or chipped, and restricting or retarding the'flow of heat from the surface unit-to the surrounding enameled top surface,

itivelyshort and shallow so asto produce a relatively negligible contact. area with the platform l2 in comparison to the. total periphery of the retain the pan l8 above the level:

thereby enabling the surface unit to be operated at a relatively high temperature for a given nonharmful temperature rise of the top surface. In this way a quicker-heating, more eflicient surface unit is also provided.

The protective ring I6 is disposed in its entirety intermediate the heating unit I4 and the.

upper edge of the apertures 23 in the cooking surface l2 and out of contact with such surface, for thermally and mechanically protecting the surface around the aperture.

Various modiflcationsmay be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be'placed thereon as are imposedby the prior artand the appended claims. I claim as myinvention:

1. In combination, cooking apparatus including a surface unit comprising, in combination, a

and between the heating element,'supporting means comprising a I BEST AVAILABLE COP tion, a top surface covered, with a. decorative coating and having an opening therein, and a 7 surface unit disposed in said opening and comprising a heating element, a dish-shaped device ',for supporting said heatin element having a '3 substantially horizontally extending upper peripheral flange, and a ring-like member of different contour than said flange enclosing the same and extending in a generally horizontal direction at a level above that of said top surface, the difference in contours providing at I least one heat-insulating space therebetween and the topsurface of said ring-like member being I highly reflecting. 3.,Cooking apparatus comprising, in combinau ALr'oNs BARNs'rEInnR. 

